Development and the Politics of Human Rights

Despite decades spent confronting human rights violations around the world, particularly in regions of instability, the issue remains one of the most divisive, chaotic, and challenging to address. Development and the Politics of Human Rights takes a much-needed holistic approach. It unpacks the questions of human advocacy and policy, identifies traps in discussions about violations of rights, and presents best practices for a variety of disciplinary approaches by engaging several situational, professional, and regional perspectives.

The contributions in this book represent the seeds of a growing culture of resistance against those who persecute the ideas and practices of freedom and enlightenment. It explores questions such as whether there are universal parameters for human rights across geopolitical contexts, how conflicts and crises affect issues relevant to human rights, and what the best practices are for sustaining these rights and for identifying accountability in their protection.

The book gradually narrows its focus from global to local concerns, beginning with a structural examination of international governmental institutions, followed by analyses of the operational dynamics within various states and localities. It presents specific contexts for analyzing unique challenges to the establishment, maintenance, and strengthening of human rights. It also paints portraits of how abandoning the struggle for recognizing, protecting, and upholding human rights would impact the future of free and open societies.

A thoughtful and proactive approach to the problem of continued violations of human rights, Development and the Politics of Human Rights gives a sense of imperative to act toward the development of a more cooperative network of communities. It advocates continuously improving interaction between organizations and individuals in professional and academic spheres toward shaping a world in which human rights can flourish.